Rail-joint fastener.



No. 706,469. Patented Aug. 5, 1902.

J. C. WENTZEL.

RAIL JOINT FASTENER.

(No Model.)

"pm mm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. WVENTZEL, OF GREENSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT'FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 706,469, dated August5, 1902.

Application filed November 9, 1901. Serial No. 81,747. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES C. WVENTZEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Greensburg, in the county of Westmoreland and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joint Fasteners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had- To the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a rail-joint fastener, and has for its objectto provide an improved device for securing the meeting ends of railstogether in a convenient and inexpensive manner.

Other objects, as well as the novel details of construction, will bedescribed hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich-- Figure 1 isa side elevation of a rail-joint arranged inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal horizontalsection through the same, and Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section throughthe rails.

The reference-numerals 1 and 2 designate two rails, adjacent the meetingedges of which are arranged angle-plates 3 and 4, which are adapted tosecure said rails together. The

' angle-plate 3 is provided with keyhole-openings 5 in its side adaptedto register with openings 6 in the respective rails. Bolts 7 aredesigned to be passed through the plate 3 and through the opening in therail and securely locked from the other side, as will be presentlyexplained.

Each bolt comprises a shank having a head on one end, adjacent which isa longitudinally-arranged rib 8, adapted to engage in the keyhole-slot 5of the angle-plate 3. The

opposite end of the shank is cut away to form shoulders 9 and 10, whichare adapted to engage the keyhole-slots 11 in the angle-plate 1.

The narrow portions 12 of the slots 11 are provided with faces orsurfaces 13, upon which the shoulders of the bolt are adapted to slide,so as to bind said bolts securely to the angle-plates and the rails. Thewedges 14 are then inserted in front of the bolts, whereby accidentaldisplacement of the same will be prevented.

When it is necessary to remove the angleplate, it will only be necessaryto takeout the wedges or keys 14 and by sliding the angle-plates so asto make the bolts register with the openings, when they may be readilywithdrawn.

I claim The combination with a pair of rails, of angle plates secured ineither side of the meeting edges thereof,one of said angle-plates havinga keyhole-slot adapted to register with an opening in the rail, a secondangle-plate provided with a keyhole-slot in the narrow portion of whichis arranged cam-surfaces, a

bolt adapted to pass through each slot in the first-named angle-plateand provided with a rib to fit in the narrow portion thereof, said boltextending through the opening in the rail and through the slot in theremaining angle-plate, a shoulder formed on the bolt and adapted toengage the cam-surfaces of the last-named angle-plate whereby saidangle-plate may be reciprocated with relation to the rails to tightenthe bolt, and a wedge adapted to be inserted in the narrow portion ofthe slot to lock the angle-plate rigid with relation to the bolt.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. WENTZEL.

Witnesses:

J. R. HUNTER, N. A. Loon.

